1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to lightweight anchors for small watercraft and particularly to lightweight anchors for small watercraft having bags to load with weighty material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are several anchor styles available on the market. Most common are the kedge anchor, the Danforth-style fluke anchor, a plow-kind of device, the grapnel, and the cast bell anchor. All come in a variety of weights to be selected relative to the size of craft and demands placed on the anchor. A kedge anchor consists of a single casting including a shaft and a single bent bar with pointed blades on the ends. At the end of the shaft where the line is attached, an eye is located in the casting. Through the eye, a crossbar is installed at 90 degree angles to the bar with the flukes. When drawn across the bottom, the crossbar on the line end rotates the anchoring bar so one of the flukes is pointed down into the bottom, causing it to dig in. The Danforth-style is common on many kinds of watercraft and ships. It consists of a main shaft connected at one end with the anchor line or chain, and at the other end, has a hole through which a bar extends to either side of the main shaft. To this bar, triangular shaped cast or welded blades are attached. The main shaft of the anchor has projections that limit the radius through which the blade bar can rotate; setting the angle the blades can take into the bottom.
The plow anchor looks very similar to a farm implement. It has a winged pointed blade fixed to a shaft shaped like a fishhook. When dragged across the bottom, the plow is expected to bury itself into the material and anchor the watercraft. The grapnel anchor has a central shaft with a number of cast individual flukes pinned to a hub at the end of the shaft casting. The flukes fold against the shaft for compact storage. The bell anchor, designed almost entirely for small personal fishing and recreational craft. It is a cast mushroom shape with no moving parts. Its function is strictly as a drag, and is probably the least functional common anchoring device.
Some more recent technology includes anchors designed for personal watercraft. Among these, there is a 3.5-pound grapnel anchor, coated with vinyl. There is a 2.5-pound Danforth-style fluke anchor, also coated with vinyl. Another item is a drum-shaped sandbag, with a drawstring top. It has no flukes or other external fittings.
There has always been a need for a very lightweight, compact device for anchoring small craft such as canoes, kayaks, duck boats and other small watercraft. Historically, anchors have been variously heavy, bulky, always underfoot, and capable of damaging the watercraft that hauled or used them. Because of their basic material and construction, frequently a decision had to be made before each outing as to whether the need for an anchor was probably going to necessitate lugging one along. Experience has indicated that if weight and portability was important, as on canoe portages, the anchor was left at home. Frequently, such trips had occasions that would have used an anchor.